FRANCES[cracks up] Donít laugh. Iím sorry. That sounded awful. [keeps laughing] The NBC people are over there laughing, saying, ďShe said, ĎHeís dead.íĒ You donít say things like that, do you? [laughs] All right. . . . What did you ask?

INTERVIEWERWhat was he like to work with?

FRANCESHe . . . he had a wonderful presence on the air. Great authority and nice voice and nice appearance.

INTERVIEWERWhat was he like personally?

FRANCESWell, this isnít personal time. [laughs] I havenít given you my personal evaluation of any people here.

INTERVIEWERWere you friends off the set?

FRANCESOh, sure. We got along just fine. Yes. But he was a . . . he was a very amiable person. But he was a very good, steady person on the show, you know.

INTERVIEWERTalk about working with some of the other creators, such as Betty Corday.

FRANCESOh, Betty I just loved. But thatís . . . you know . . . she was so interested in it. And she was . . . she was always . . . she had been very good at NBC. She had worked at NBC. And I remember doing great books for her . . . some of those. She just . . . . It seemed as if she was just born doing that kind of work. She was good.

INTERVIEWERHow about Irna Phillips?

FRANCESI never met her. Irna sent a message to me between one of the other shows that she did. I did this. But when I had finished the other show, and it turned out something . . . Iíve forgotten which one of the other shows, she said, ďYou just tell Miss Reid that she will never work for me again.Ē So I did this show. This was Irnaís too. But she was extraordinary. Just extraordinary. And a mind that she could think up these plots, day after day, and for two shows! You know, she was extraordinary. I donít know how people get to be that way. Just wonderful.